Figure 1.-- In the wake of the liberating armies, Resistance fighters quickly sought out collaborators. Some of those who actively collaborated with the Germans in a serious way were shot. Civilians also went after young vwomen known to have had affairs with German soldiers. Here the focus was on humiliation. Here two such women have had their heads shaved, swasticas painted on their foreheads, and are being forced to walk throiugh the streets of Paris barefoot. Source: U.S. Army.

Collaboration was a term that Marshall Petain introduced. It did not at first have a sinister connotation. Rather most French people still in shock at the Germany victory were inclined to support Petain and his Vichy regime. At the time there seemed no altrnative. As the Germans experienced military reverses, French attitudes began to change. The increasing severity of German occuption, especially the conscription of French workers for work in the Reich was a major factor. Vichy and collaboration continues to be a veey sensitive subject in France. Collaboration took many forms. Some French actively helped the Germans hunt down Jews, including Jewish children, and members of the Resirance. A number of French women collaborated by falling in love with German soldiers. There is of course a vast differece between the two extreems and many levels of collaboration in between. There were a variety of summnary actions in the heat of Liberation. In improvisated local actions during the first weeks after the Liberation. About 1,000 persons are believedcto have been executed, mostly by the Communists. Many women had their hair shaved publically or were otherwise humiliated. Theor primary crime was liasons with German soldiers. A French Provision Government was formed (August) and very quickly took action to prevent such summary executions. [Lottman] Many were arrested and tried for collaboration after the War. Officers of the Vichy Government were some of targets of these procecutions. Admiral Darlan was sentenced to death. Marshall Petain was sentenced to a long jail term. The Gaullists nurtured a myth that the great majority of the French people bravely resisted the Germans.

Sources

Lottman, Herbert R. The Purge: The Purification of French Collaborators after World War II.

Created: 4:12 AM 10/6/2008
Last updated: 4:12 AM 10/6/2008